This week, shipping estimates for Apple's iPhone 5s are continuing to decrease as we compare the "real" cost of the handset in international countries across the world. Plus, one iPhone thief in China has demonstrated that even criminals have a conscience.

iPhone 5s shipping

First, however, iPhone 5s shipping times have improved again.
Now, Apple's flagship handset - which has proved to be incredibly popular since it first launched - is shipping from the Apple Online Store in just three to five business days.
The same can be said of countless Apple Online Stores internationally, too, including those of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
This is great news for folks planning on picking up an iPhone 5s handset in time for the holidays. You'll remember, of course, that at one point shipping estimates for the smartphone were as much as several weeks.
As we explained in our article, delivery times for Apple's new iPads aren't so bad, either:

In similar news – and in a rather surprising move – the iPad mini with Retina display (16GB and 32GB Wi-Fi Only models) is actually taking less time to reach customers than its larger, 9.7-inch counterpart, the iPad Air. [...]
However, Apple’s iPad mini (16GB and 32GB Wi-Fi Only) is shipping in one to three business days, while all other models are shipping in five to 10 days.
All iPad Air models, on the other hand, have a shipping estimate of five to seven business days, meaning customers aren’t necessarily going to have to wait longer to get hold of a new iPad mini.

Our advice? Regardless of the iDevice, if you're planning on purchasing an iPhone or iPad in time for the holidays, place your order as soon as possible.
Though, with Black Friday on the horizon, the option of holding off and scoring a discount is indeed tempting (even if impressive iPad deals are already available from a number of retailers).

The "real" cost of the iPhone 5s

How much does Apple's iPhone 5s cost in countries around the world?
It's a question most international iDevice users have probably asked at one point or another, however a new chart promises to provide the answer.
Through comparing the cost of Apple's iPhone 5s against individual countries' gross domestic product (GDP), the resultant map (pictured above) offers an interesting indication of how expensive the smartphone is in international territories.
Our article explained:

In the United States, for example, the new handset sets customers back 1.37 percent of the country’s GDP; in China, the cost rises to almost 10 percent of the per capita GDP, and in India, the figure is even higher – 22.32 percent, as of this writing.

As such, it's no surprise that the iPhone 5s is struggling to gain traction in certain international territories: the high cost means a large proportion of the market is excluded from even considering Apple's smartphone.
The aforementioned chart makes for interesting reading and viewing. You can take a closer look at Mobile Unlocked.

Thief with a conscience

Finally this week, let's end on a lighter note. Over in China, one iPhone user found that even criminals have a conscience - albeit the hard way.
Because after his iPhone handset was stolen while sharing a taxi ride with a stranger, Zou Bin was astonished to discover several days later that the thief had taken the time to write out the entire contents of his handset's Contacts app, and posted the 11-page document to his address.
Information for more than 1,000 contacts was provided, and because this data wasn't otherwise backed up, Zou was relieved.
The report reached us from the Hindustan Times, and explains:

The pickpocket is believed to have taken the Apple handset from Zou Bin when they shared a taxi, the Xinhua news agency said.
Zou had nearly 1,000 contact numbers in the device and with no backup copy – like millions of other people around the world – he was more concerned about losing the data than the phone itself, it added.

So concerned was iPhone owner Zou Bin, that he sent a text message to the thief threatening him to return the handset if he knew what was good for him.
He said to the thief: “I know you are the man who sat beside me. I can assure you that I will find you. Look through the contact numbers in my mobile and you will know what trade I am in,” he added. “Send me back the phone to the address below if you are sensible.”
The report explains that Zou works in the “pub industry, which in China is widely held to have links with gangs.” To me, his message sounds a lot like the famous phone call Liam Neeson makes in “Taken.”
However, the aforementioned 11-page document reached Zou, instead.
The report continues:

Chinese Internet users gave the thief plaudits for his efforts, dubbing him “the conscience of the (theft) industry”.
One user of Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter, posted: “What a sympathetic and faithful thief, one who values professional ethics.”